Who's #1 your patient or you?

SCRN1 · Jun 26, 2004

Yeah, like I said, I'm sure they aren't right in this, but I haven't "rocked the boat" myself because I'm ok with not having to work the extra 30 minutes & have it deducted from my pay. I come in at 11 p.m. (well, actually I do usually come in a few minutes so I won't be late) and leave at 7 a.m. if I'm able. The other 2 shifts come in 15 minutes before the hour and stay until 15 minutes after and 30 minutes is automatically deducted. If I go in at 7 p.m. and work a 12-hr shift, 30 minutes is deducted. The cafeteria is closed during our night shift. At another hospital close by where I used to work, the cafeteria was open for several hours during the night shift and we had to do the extra 30 minutes (and 30 minutes deducted from pay).

joseph08012 · Jul 4, 2004

missing your breaks or not eating lunch does not put your patient first. in the long run it will actually hurt the patient because you are not operating at your maximum ablility.

the number one reason i hear for missing a break or not taking a lunch is short staffing and the floor nurse feels obligated to stay. i never see a nurse manager on the floor helping out during a staff shortage or a lunch period but i always see them taking their lunch break and going home on time. yes, they have their jobs to do and the floor nurses have their job to do but eveyones job is the patient.

remember, if you can't take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of the patient.

joseph08012 · Jul 4, 2004

missing your breaks or not eating lunch does not put your patient first. in the long run it will actually hurt the patient because you are not operating at your maximum ablility.

the number one reason i hear for missing a break or not taking a lunch is short staffing and the floor nurse feels obligated to stay. i never see a nurse manager on the floor helping out during a staff shortage or a lunch period but i always see them taking their lunch break and going home on time. yes, they have their jobs to do and the floor nurses have their job to do but eveyones job is the patient.

remember, if you can't take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of the patient.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 4, 2004

There aren't any loopholes that I know of. My DH is a manager and so I have been well versed in rights and wrongs LOL. Years ago, our day shift would come in 15 minutes early so that they could have a 45 minutes lunch....well, someone complained and labor relations put an end to that. If we work 4.5 hours IE 3p-730p we are automatically deducted .5 hours because of the labor law stating that anything over 4 hours you are to have .5 hours of unpaid break. So, even if we are working 4 hours we take a break or sign out no lunch/break.
It sounds a bit fishy to me what they are telling you. They are getting a nice solid 8 hours out of you and expecting you to just work straight thru. Just because they have been doing it forever, doesn't make it right.

If you work in Colorado, their state law specifically indicates that nurses and other medical professionals are excluded by the law (as are teachers). I imagine they still give meal breaks, so as to not look bad, but their own state law does not require them to. BOO on Colorado!

Here is the link to the Department of Labor listing state laws. Other states have exemptions for professionals (which are not listed), so this gives them a little breathing room to cheat too.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/meal.htm

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 4, 2004

There aren't any loopholes that I know of. My DH is a manager and so I have been well versed in rights and wrongs LOL. Years ago, our day shift would come in 15 minutes early so that they could have a 45 minutes lunch....well, someone complained and labor relations put an end to that. If we work 4.5 hours IE 3p-730p we are automatically deducted .5 hours because of the labor law stating that anything over 4 hours you are to have .5 hours of unpaid break. So, even if we are working 4 hours we take a break or sign out no lunch/break.
It sounds a bit fishy to me what they are telling you. They are getting a nice solid 8 hours out of you and expecting you to just work straight thru. Just because they have been doing it forever, doesn't make it right.

If you work in Colorado, their state law specifically indicates that nurses and other medical professionals are excluded by the law (as are teachers). I imagine they still give meal breaks, so as to not look bad, but their own state law does not require them to. BOO on Colorado!

Here is the link to the Department of Labor listing state laws. Other states have exemptions for professionals (which are not listed), so this gives them a little breathing room to cheat too.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/meal.htm

Stitchie · Jul 4, 2004

Take my breaks when I can..sometimes they aren't at the same time everyday but I take them.
I think I come first...I enjoy nursing and looking after patients but I am not going to kill myself for them. I need to care for myself because I am a real person not some robot that winds themselves up for another day of nursing.
I am important to me and my loved ones...the patient won't remember who I am after a week and in ICU they may never remember me..so I look out for myself.
I don't get the "Iam a nurse..the noble self sacrificing all caring blah blah blah..I'm just another schmuck trying to survive and do the best work I can and enjoy life and family.

Add my opinion to this one. I am not a self-sacrificing 'angel'; I am a human being with needs just as anyone else is. I do not let my 'personal problems' get to me -- I have just as much baggage/problems/family issues as anyone else out there. I have noticed that all the docs take their breaks/get food/go potty (in the ER). Why shouldn't nurses do the same? We're the ones at the bedside, using assessment skills and noting changes in the patient's condition.

It's a job, same as any other job. I work best when I'm not worrying that I have to pee so bad I can't concentrate on what the patient is saying (Is she allergic to PCN or ASA? Did she 'CRF' or 'CHF'?) Many times it's up to your judgement just how bad a patient is and how much of a hurry you must be in/how much of an emergency it really is.

Of course, we must be reasonable about the room. If it's insane and experienced nurses are running like crazy and I have two patients, of course I'll help out, instead of taking my break. ER is all about the teamwork. But if I have to pee, sorry, I'm taking three minutes and the world won't stop if I do that.

No use killing myself for the 'job'. I'd only end up a patient in my own ER -- and I know better! :rotfl:

Stitchie · Jul 4, 2004

Take my breaks when I can..sometimes they aren't at the same time everyday but I take them.
I think I come first...I enjoy nursing and looking after patients but I am not going to kill myself for them. I need to care for myself because I am a real person not some robot that winds themselves up for another day of nursing.
I am important to me and my loved ones...the patient won't remember who I am after a week and in ICU they may never remember me..so I look out for myself.
I don't get the "Iam a nurse..the noble self sacrificing all caring blah blah blah..I'm just another schmuck trying to survive and do the best work I can and enjoy life and family.

Add my opinion to this one. I am not a self-sacrificing 'angel'; I am a human being with needs just as anyone else is. I do not let my 'personal problems' get to me -- I have just as much baggage/problems/family issues as anyone else out there. I have noticed that all the docs take their breaks/get food/go potty (in the ER). Why shouldn't nurses do the same? We're the ones at the bedside, using assessment skills and noting changes in the patient's condition.

It's a job, same as any other job. I work best when I'm not worrying that I have to pee so bad I can't concentrate on what the patient is saying (Is she allergic to PCN or ASA? Did she 'CRF' or 'CHF'?) Many times it's up to your judgement just how bad a patient is and how much of a hurry you must be in/how much of an emergency it really is.

Of course, we must be reasonable about the room. If it's insane and experienced nurses are running like crazy and I have two patients, of course I'll help out, instead of taking my break. ER is all about the teamwork. But if I have to pee, sorry, I'm taking three minutes and the world won't stop if I do that.

No use killing myself for the 'job'. I'd only end up a patient in my own ER -- and I know better! :rotfl:

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jul 4, 2004

We assign a "break nurse" every shift. That person asks you to sign up for a break time at the beginning of the shift and then comes and covers for you and does any care for you pt that needs to be done. Has its pros and cons, but in the end you end up getting a break.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jul 4, 2004

We assign a "break nurse" every shift. That person asks you to sign up for a break time at the beginning of the shift and then comes and covers for you and does any care for you pt that needs to be done. Has its pros and cons, but in the end you end up getting a break.

Euskadi1946 · Jul 14, 2004

As corney as it sounds by taking your breaks and looking after your own welfare you are putting your patient first.
When you sacrafice yourself to your patients you burn out and are not giving your best. IMHO that is the most selfish thing you can do. Some nurses actually say no one can take care of their patients as well as they can and will not take breaks. They are on thier own ego trip and doing a diservice to the patient.
Think about it this way. Would your perfer a refreshed nurse who takes her breaks and takes care of herself or someone who is so "superior" that she negelcts herself so that you have a nurse who has low blood sugar, poor health habits and no rest taking care of you.
Personally, I would prefer a nurse who is clear headed and relaxed even if she is not as knowlegeable or experienced as the nurse who doesn't eat, doesen't take a break and brings all that extra stress to my bedside.

When I had my gall bladder out 20 yrs ago it was right before Christmas and I had a nurse who was sicker than a dog with and upper respiratory infection, but just felt that the unit would fall apart without her. Needless to say she passed her bug on to me and I ended up with bronchitis...can you imagine how much fun bronchitis is with a fresh g/b incision and hacking your lungs out???? OHHHH was I verrrry angry and I let my doc know exactly how angry I was.... :angryfire

opalmRN · Jul 14, 2004

Who's #1, Your patients or you?
No matter how busy it is I always take my breaks. Some nurses miss lunch, skip breaks. I would like to here from nurses their opinions on this topic.

If you are not number 1 everyone loses. Burnout is high, don't set yourself up for disaster. Injuries cause loss of work and money not to mention lifelong pain. Food can make or break your ability to focus and provide for your patient's, don't skip there is always time for a simple nutritious food, the key is to remember to take it to work :) Nope unless you are in on a heart/lung bypass, there is no crime in taking care of number 1.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 14, 2004

When I had my gall bladder out 20 yrs ago it was right before Christmas and I had a nurse who was sicker than a dog with and upper respiratory infection, but just felt that the unit would fall apart without her. Needless to say she passed her bug on to me and I ended up with bronchitis...can you imagine how much fun bronchitis is with a fresh g/b incision and hacking your lungs out???? OHHHH was I verrrry angry and I let my doc know exactly how angry I was.... :angryfire

While I wholeheartedly agree with you - sick staff and stick visitors need to keep their germs at home!! - I know when I was staff, my unit had a punitive sick call policy. If you get frequent upper resp. infections (like I do - good ol' allergies seem to make me more susceptible to everything) you can easily use up all your "management allowed" sick days. Then, in addition to feeling like crap, you get to deal with all the written warnings and write-ups.

This is also a big reason why we would have to work short a lot. Because as long as you didn't try to come back before you were 100%, it was still one "occurrence", but if you came back and got sick and had to leave or could not come back the next day because you felt like crap from working at half-health for 12 hours -- yep...thats 2 occurrences (a big deal if the hospital only allows 3-4 per year and you go through 2 in 1-2 weeks.) It benefits the employee to just stay out and not risk it.

Why can we not be treated like adults? Just because a very few morons would abuse a non-punitive policy, we all have to suffer - passing on viruses to one another and our patients!!

That is so 3rd grade.